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Hurricane Sandy vs. Katrina Infographic Examines Destruction From Both StormsOver 100 people have died in the U.S. alone so far from Hurricane Sandy, and concerns are mounting that with hundreds of thousands still without power in frigid temperatures, the death toll will continue to climb. As the East Coast examines the destruction, comparisons have been made to other catastrophic storms. Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005, killed over 1,800 people and cost nearly $125 billion.Mamas, Don't Let the New Atheism Grow Up to Be the Same Old Shit in a Different PackageDamon Linker recently wrote a piece for The New Republic about what he calls "the new atheism" (as represented by Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, and Hitchens) and its potential to undermine the very principles (progressive liberalism and secular politics, particularly) it asserts to advocate. Now, there are problems with the article; it simplifies atheism so it can be neatly divided into two strands, and it ignores altogether that strident anti-religiosity is not unique to atheists. It also falls into the trap, right from the title ("Atheism's Wrong Turn"), that so many articles on religion have—treating atheists as a monolithic group. (Was the federal marriage amendment, for example, "Christianity's wrong turn"?)

Crime After The Theft: How Burglars Turn Your Stuff Into CashEver wonder what happens to a home burglary victim’s valuables? We all know that burglars aren’t burglarizing homes to furnish their own home. They’re looking to cash in on their new found booty, but how are they turning your valuables into cold hard cash? We previously had the chance to sit down with a real-life burglar who gave us the lowdown on some inside trade secrets and how to ultimately improve your home security.

Part of Nature cartoon by Stuart McMillen - Recombinant RecordsThis cartoon is heavily influenced by the books Natural Capitalism - Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins (1999) and Mid-Course Correction - Ray Anderson (1998). It is also in the same vein as the flash animation "The Story of Stuff" by Annie Leonard, which I watched when I was about 90% of the way through the drawing process. Back to post / website. View/add comments for this article.Part of Nature by Stuart McMillen.Oscilloscope.netAbout WE CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN The most complete, newly restored version of Nicholas Ray’s experimental masterpiece, made with his students at the State University of New York at Binghamton, WE CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN embodies Ray’s approach to filmmaking as a communal way of life. The film records Ray’s groundbreaking use of multiple image as a way of telling more than one story simultaneously, and of colorization as a way to heighten emotional expression.

Video Showing the Huge Gap Between Super Rich and Everyone Else Goes ViralFor much of the past decade, policymakers and analysts have decried America's incredibly low savings rate, noting that U.S. households save a fraction of the money of the rest of the world. Citing a myriad of causes -- from cheap credit to exploitative bank practices -- they've noted that the average family puts away less than 4 percent of its income. "Wealth Inequality in America," a six-minute video produced by a YouTube user named "Politizane," casts an interesting angle on the plummeting savings rate. Set to depressing piano music and packed with crystal-clear animations, it gives a powerful snapshot of the American economic landscape. Noting that "The top 1 percent own nearly half the country's stocks, bonds, and mutual funds," the video goes on to contrast those impressive holdings with the rest of the country.

LIFX: The Light Bulb Reinvented by Phil BosuaLIFX is the smartest light bulb you've ever experienced. It's a wifi-enabled, energy efficient, multi-colored bulb that you control with your iPhone or Android. LIFX gives you unprecedented control of your lights, reduces your energy costs, lasts up to 25 years and delivers an amazing range of experiences we think you’ll love. LIFX is incredibly easy to set-up. Simply replace your existing bulbs with LIFX smartbulbs, download and install our free app from the App Store or Google Play and you're good to go. We [Phil Bosua, Andrew Birt, Andy Gelme, John Bosua, Ben Hamey, Dave Evans and Guy King] have designed, redesigned and reimagined LIFX many times during the past six months, pouring countless hours into thinking about the user experience, the technical aspects of the project and how to deliver the world's smartest lightbulb to you at an affordable price point.

Republicans Want To Slash Government Spending, Can’t Name Anything To Cut (VIDEOThe March 22, 2013 Real Time with Bill Maher made a powerful point: self-identified Republicans, including those who call themselves Tea Party, are IMPERATIVELY certain that the answer to America’s woes is to slash government spending. But when you ask them to name specific cuts, they pretty much come up with bupkus. This is what happens when people are insulated in the Fox echo chamber. They have had “must cut government spending” as a mantra, repeated hundreds of times a day, and they’ve bought in. But none of these people have any real idea about what to cut, other than “wasteful government spending”. What do Americans Mean by “Wasteful Government Spending”?

The Enhanced-Precision Political Quiz in 2DThe Enhanced-Precision Political Quiz Version 7 release, updated August 2012. More options. More objective. More up to date. And pretty close to a final version.The Logic of Stupid Poor PeopleWe hates us some poor people. First, they insist on being poor when it is so easy to not be poor. They do things like buy expensive designer belts and $2500 luxury handbags.